Can you name the pink country on this map?

It's the next travel destination for the Two Crabs. We'll be spending Christmas on the beach, basking in the 75-degree sunshine. This country is located in the Persian Gulf (aka Arabian Gulf). The capital is Abu Dhabi. This country's largest and best-known city is Dubai, a glittering city on the sea that is a combination of Las Vegas, Disneyworld and the Bahamas rolled into one.  It's the home of the world's tallest building (under construction), one of the world's largest indoor ski resorts, the world's largest shopping mall, camel racing, and the Burj Al Arab -- the world's tallest and most luxurious hotel.  It's one of the most popular tourist destinations for Brits, but relatively unknown to Americans.

Guess the country yet?   

If not, you're not alone.  A recent study finds that Americans and British are seriously lacking geography skills. Only 4 out of 10 young people could find Iraq on a map.  To get people excited about geography, Brits and Americans are being challenged to put their skills to the test in the first online Geography Cup. About 18,000 people have taken the transatlantic test. So far, Americans are edging out the Brits but it's close! The quiz ends Dec. 31. Long on to GeographyCup.com to try the test.

And for those who have read this entire blog post, the answer to the pink country is the United Arab Emirates.